diff --git a/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/mod.rs b/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/mod.rs
index 72d0ec6e9..86ce2accc 100644
--- a/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/mod.rs
+++ b/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/mod.rs
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ pub const SSTORE_SENTRY_GAS: u64 = 2300;
 // params.ColdAccountAccessCostEIP2929
 pub const COLD_ACCOUNT_GAS: u64 = 2600;
 
-// params.WarmStorageReadCostEIP2929
+// params.ColdSloadCostEIP2929;
 pub const COLD_SLOAD_GAS: u64 = 2100;
 
-// params.WarmSloadCostEIP2929;
+// params.WarmStorageReadCostEIP2929
 pub const WARM_SLOAD_GAS: u64 = 100;
 
 // params.LogGas and params.LogDataGas
diff --git a/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/req.rs b/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/req.rs
index d7cab0071..0243c408e 100644
--- a/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/req.rs
+++ b/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/req.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use eyre::{bail, eyre, Result};
 use std::collections::hash_map::Entry;
 
 pub trait RequestHandler<D: DataReader>: Send + 'static {
-    fn handle_request(&mut self, req_type: EvmApiMethod, req_data: &[u8]) -> (Vec<u8>, D, u64);
+    fn request(&mut self, req_type: EvmApiMethod, req_data: impl AsRef<[u8]>) -> (Vec<u8>, D, u64);
 }
 
 pub struct EvmApiRequestor<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> {
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         }
     }
 
-    fn handle_request(&mut self, req_type: EvmApiMethod, req_data: &[u8]) -> (Vec<u8>, D, u64) {
-        self.handler.handle_request(req_type, req_data)
+    fn request(&mut self, req_type: EvmApiMethod, req_data: impl AsRef<[u8]>) -> (Vec<u8>, D, u64) {
+        self.handler.request(req_type, req_data)
     }
 
     /// Call out to a contract.
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         request.extend(gas.to_be_bytes());
         request.extend(input);
 
-        let (res, data, cost) = self.handle_request(call_type, &request);
+        let (res, data, cost) = self.request(call_type, &request);
         let status: UserOutcomeKind = res[0].try_into().expect("unknown outcome");
         let data_len = data.slice().len() as u32;
         self.last_return_data = Some(data);
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         }
         request.extend(code);
 
-        let (mut res, data, cost) = self.handle_request(create_type, &request);
+        let (mut res, data, cost) = self.request(create_type, request);
         if res.len() != 21 || res[0] == 0 {
             if !res.is_empty() {
                 res.remove(0);
@@ -103,9 +103,7 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApi<D> for EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         let mut cost = cache.read_gas();
 
         let value = cache.entry(key).or_insert_with(|| {
-            let (res, _, gas) = self
-                .handler
-                .handle_request(EvmApiMethod::GetBytes32, key.as_slice());
+            let (res, _, gas) = self.handler.request(EvmApiMethod::GetBytes32, key);
             cost = cost.saturating_add(gas).saturating_add(EVM_API_INK);
             StorageWord::known(res.try_into().unwrap())
         });
@@ -134,8 +132,11 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApi<D> for EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         if clear {
             self.storage_cache.clear();
         }
+        if data.len() == 8 {
+            return Ok(0); // no need to make request
+        }
 
-        let (res, _, cost) = self.handle_request(EvmApiMethod::SetTrieSlots, &data);
+        let (res, _, cost) = self.request(EvmApiMethod::SetTrieSlots, data);
         if res[0] != EvmApiStatus::Success.into() {
             bail!("{}", String::from_utf8_or_hex(res));
         }
@@ -211,7 +212,7 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApi<D> for EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         request.extend(topics.to_be_bytes());
         request.extend(data);
 
-        let (res, _, _) = self.handle_request(EvmApiMethod::EmitLog, &request);
+        let (res, _, _) = self.request(EvmApiMethod::EmitLog, request);
         if !res.is_empty() {
             bail!(String::from_utf8(res).unwrap_or("malformed emit-log response".into()))
         }
@@ -219,7 +220,7 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApi<D> for EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
     }
 
     fn account_balance(&mut self, address: Bytes20) -> (Bytes32, u64) {
-        let (res, _, cost) = self.handle_request(EvmApiMethod::AccountBalance, address.as_slice());
+        let (res, _, cost) = self.request(EvmApiMethod::AccountBalance, address);
         (res.try_into().unwrap(), cost)
     }
 
@@ -233,19 +234,18 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApi<D> for EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         req.extend(address);
         req.extend(gas_left.to_be_bytes());
 
-        let (_, data, cost) = self.handle_request(EvmApiMethod::AccountCode, &req);
+        let (_, data, cost) = self.request(EvmApiMethod::AccountCode, req);
         self.last_code = Some((address, data.clone()));
         (data, cost)
     }
 
     fn account_codehash(&mut self, address: Bytes20) -> (Bytes32, u64) {
-        let (res, _, cost) = self.handle_request(EvmApiMethod::AccountCodeHash, address.as_slice());
+        let (res, _, cost) = self.request(EvmApiMethod::AccountCodeHash, address);
         (res.try_into().unwrap(), cost)
     }
 
     fn add_pages(&mut self, pages: u16) -> u64 {
-        self.handle_request(EvmApiMethod::AddPages, &pages.to_be_bytes())
-            .2
+        self.request(EvmApiMethod::AddPages, pages.to_be_bytes()).2
     }
 
     fn capture_hostio(
@@ -265,6 +265,6 @@ impl<D: DataReader, H: RequestHandler<D>> EvmApi<D> for EvmApiRequestor<D, H> {
         request.extend(name.as_bytes());
         request.extend(args);
         request.extend(outs);
-        self.handle_request(EvmApiMethod::CaptureHostIO, &request);
+        self.request(EvmApiMethod::CaptureHostIO, request);
     }
 }
diff --git a/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/storage.rs b/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/storage.rs
index 7fc4a6911..10d1ab799 100644
--- a/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/storage.rs
+++ b/arbitrator/arbutil/src/evm/storage.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 /// Represents the EVM word at a given key.
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct StorageWord {
     /// The current value of the slot.
     pub value: Bytes32,
diff --git a/arbitrator/jit/src/stylus_backend.rs b/arbitrator/jit/src/stylus_backend.rs
index 74a8d6ae1..61dbf258d 100644
--- a/arbitrator/jit/src/stylus_backend.rs
+++ b/arbitrator/jit/src/stylus_backend.rs
@@ -43,14 +43,14 @@ struct CothreadRequestor {
 }
 
 impl RequestHandler<VecReader> for CothreadRequestor {
-    fn handle_request(
+    fn request(
         &mut self,
         req_type: EvmApiMethod,
-        req_data: &[u8],
+        req_data: impl AsRef<[u8]>,
     ) -> (Vec<u8>, VecReader, u64) {
         let msg = MessageFromCothread {
             req_type: req_type as u32 + EVM_API_METHOD_REQ_OFFSET,
-            req_data: req_data.to_vec(),
+            req_data: req_data.as_ref().to_vec(),
         };
 
         if let Err(error) = self.tx.send(msg) {
diff --git a/arbitrator/langs/c b/arbitrator/langs/c
index c7bbff75d..29fe05d68 160000
--- a/arbitrator/langs/c
+++ b/arbitrator/langs/c
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit c7bbff75d5e3d4a49a722c4d029817f21a28dc27
+Subproject commit 29fe05d68672797572080084b0f5f0a282e298ef
diff --git a/arbitrator/langs/rust b/arbitrator/langs/rust
index c8951eab9..1fcef8387 160000
--- a/arbitrator/langs/rust
+++ b/arbitrator/langs/rust
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit c8951eab9b5bd61b264d192241642bf316aa466e
+Subproject commit 1fcef8387e5f337901f18f44250756c5bf08db40
diff --git a/arbitrator/stylus/src/evm_api.rs b/arbitrator/stylus/src/evm_api.rs
index fdcc5b16a..d26737282 100644
--- a/arbitrator/stylus/src/evm_api.rs
+++ b/arbitrator/stylus/src/evm_api.rs
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ macro_rules! ptr {
 }
 
 impl RequestHandler<GoSliceData> for NativeRequestHandler {
-    fn handle_request(
+    fn request(
         &mut self,
         req_type: EvmApiMethod,
-        req_data: &[u8],
+        req_data: impl AsRef<[u8]>,
     ) -> (Vec<u8>, GoSliceData, u64) {
         let mut result = GoSliceData::null();
         let mut raw_data = GoSliceData::null();
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ impl RequestHandler<GoSliceData> for NativeRequestHandler {
             (self.handle_request_fptr)(
                 self.id,
                 req_type as u32 + EVM_API_METHOD_REQ_OFFSET,
-                ptr!(RustSlice::new(req_data)),
+                ptr!(RustSlice::new(req_data.as_ref())),
                 ptr!(cost),
                 ptr!(result),
                 ptr!(raw_data),
diff --git a/arbitrator/wasm-libraries/user-host/src/program.rs b/arbitrator/wasm-libraries/user-host/src/program.rs
index a6ec966c0..b43e632b9 100644
--- a/arbitrator/wasm-libraries/user-host/src/program.rs
+++ b/arbitrator/wasm-libraries/user-host/src/program.rs
@@ -145,15 +145,15 @@ impl UserHostRequester {
 }
 
 impl RequestHandler<VecReader> for UserHostRequester {
-    fn handle_request(
+    fn request(
         &mut self,
         req_type: EvmApiMethod,
-        req_data: &[u8],
+        req_data: impl AsRef<[u8]>,
     ) -> (Vec<u8>, VecReader, u64) {
         unsafe {
             self.send_request(
                 req_type as u32 + EVM_API_METHOD_REQ_OFFSET,
-                req_data.to_vec(),
+                req_data.as_ref().to_vec(),
             )
         }
     }
diff --git a/arbos/programs/api.go b/arbos/programs/api.go
index 73c1915da..390a3f43e 100644
--- a/arbos/programs/api.go
+++ b/arbos/programs/api.go
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ func newApiClosures(
 			out, cost := getBytes32(key)
 			return out[:], nil, cost
 		case SetTrieSlots:
+			println("setting trie slots", len(input))
 			gasLeft := takeU64()
 			gas := gasLeft
 			status := setTrieSlots(takeRest(), &gas)
diff --git a/arbos/programs/testconstants.go b/arbos/programs/testconstants.go
index f37ccb4b0..cfaf42d88 100644
--- a/arbos/programs/testconstants.go
+++ b/arbos/programs/testconstants.go
@@ -84,6 +84,5 @@ func testConstants() error {
 	if err := assertEq(3, WriteProtection, C.EvmApiStatus_WriteProtection); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }